Curcumin Alleviates Bisphenol A‑Induced Blood-Testis Barrier Disruption in Mice by Targeting Surfactant Protein B (SFTPB) to Suppress Oxidative Stress-Activated NLRP3 Inflammasome

Bisphenol A (BPA), a globally prevalent industrial chemical,
significantly
harms the male reproductive health. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory,
antioxidation, and antiapoptosis pharmacological properties, but the
effect and mechanism of curcumin against BPA-induced testicular damage
are still unknown. This study investigates the protective effect of
curcumin against Bisphenol A (BPA)-induced blood-testis barrier (BTB)
injury in mice. BPA exposure caused oxidative stress, activated the
NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in Sertoli cells,
and disrupted BTB integrity. Curcumin treatment alleviated these effects
by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting NLRP3 activation. We identified
Surfactant Protein B (SFTPB) as a key target, finding that curcumin
directly interacts with and down-regulates it. Functionally, SFTPB
knockdown mimicked curcumin’s protection, while its overexpression
exacerbated BPA-induced damage. Our findings demonstrate that curcumin
mitigates BPA-induced testicular injury by targeting SFTPB to suppress
the oxidative stress-NLRP3 pathway, revealing a novel mechanism for
the therapeutic action of curcumin.